One of the things I like about rar files is that you can extract stuff without having the whole set. For instance, if there are three 100 meg files in a rar set, and I only have the middle rar files, I can still extract the middle 100 meg file, and I don't have to have the first or last in the set such as the .rar

I can also extract from winrar and keep corrupted or incomplete files.

PHJF wrote on Feb 21, 2012, 15:51:I've been using winRAR for the past... eight years?

Why wouldn't you use winRAR?

I quit using WinRAR a few years ago, replacing it with 7-Zip. I paid for for a RAR license too after using an the shareware version for a years. I converted my personal backup archives from RAR to 7-Zips and saved a lot of space. Most of the time 7-Zip will get better compression and do it faster, but a few times RAR did better. The overall difference was pretty significant. I don't have exact numbers since that was a while ago.

The 7zip compression is open source, so if you don't like the the 7-Zip program, you can use others like PeaZip.

Prez wrote on Feb 21, 2012, 19:42:I've always been under the impression that Moore's law pertained more to the doubling of processing power over time. In that light Moore's law will continue to be relevant indefinitely.

You've been wrong. It's about how many transistors can be efficiently mass produced on a circuit.

How can you make a factual mistake that's easily googleable yet say "in light of that." Fish swim in the sky. In light of that, we should be using helium balloons instead of lead sinkers.

Beamer wrote on Feb 21, 2012, 19:16:99% of things are zip these days, since all major OSs integrated them.

I never knew what you get by not using the evaluation version of winrar. The ability to make rar files? Screw it, I'm zipping anything I send - I'll never trust that the receiver can open anything else.

No, you can freely make rar files with the eval version of winrar. The only difference in the registered version is that it doesn't nag you. No really, thats about it. I've used winrar (eval and registered) for a long time.

The only other thing I've ever seen is that registered winrar users can do a sorta authentication thing to say they are the ones that rar'ed the file. Its kinda like the MS trusted file thing, not even MS bothers with it a lot of times. Maybe one 0.001% of rar files use that. Also 99.99% of the times I've seen rars that tried to do that, it didn't work because the person trying it didn't know what they were doing. I'd say its better to use an md5 or SFV if you want someone to be more sure they are getting the original untampered with file.If you ever see a rar file name in winrar in blue, thats because they tried to do that.

99% of things are zip these days, since all major OSs integrated them.

I never knew what you get by not using the evaluation version of winrar. The ability to make rar files? Screw it, I'm zipping anything I send - I'll never trust that the receiver can open anything else.

zombiefan wrote on Feb 21, 2012, 14:59:Bah, Moore's law hasn't been broken, just like we didn't stop exploring when we crested that hill in the distance, or saw what's on the other side of the ocean, or what's above the atmosphere.

It'll be up and down quarks next, then something else, then something after that. Can't stop when you're addicted to the shindig...

But why put in that effort right now? Parallel systems are adding more value. Some day the effort may be there, but it's no longer really worthwhile.

PHJF wrote on Feb 21, 2012, 15:51:I've been using winRAR for the past... eight years?

Why wouldn't you use winRAR?

I had to unrar something on sunday. I installed winrar.

What else is there?

On that note, I goddamn hate rar files. With zip being integrated into Windows Explorer I can just view zipped files like a folder. A friend sends me a huge file of images? I can open it, look at them, upload some, etc., without ever unzipping it.Rar files make me unrar.